Legendary Nigerian singer, Onyeka Onwenu who passed last Tuesday 30th July 2024 when she slumped after her performance at the 80th birthday party of Nigerian industrialist, Mrs. Stella Okoli had hinted about the manner of activities that should follow her demise. This was in her 2021 opinion piece that was published by Premium Times following the ‘lavish’ celebration of Obi Cubana’s mother.
TheMediaGood can report that the ‘Elegant Stallion’ as she was fondly called was not only renown in the entertainment industry but also in politics and journalism space.
Onwenu revealed: ‘Do it quickly, quietly and privately. Celebrate me with prayers, lunch or dinner afterwards. Share some jokes about me and laugh. Mourn, yes, but not excessively. Make merriment and then go about your business.’
‘I am very uncomfortable with the lavish display of wealth on any occasion, especially in a time of hardship and lack for most others’, she opined about what a desirable funeral should look like.
She added about being celebrated while on earth. ‘If my friends want to celebrate me, they should do so while I am alive so that I can enjoy it with them, not when I am gone and have no idea about this. That is me Onyeka Onwenu.’
Onyeka Onwenu, born in 1952, in Obosi, Anambra State began her music career in the 1980s and released her debut album, “For the Love of You,” in 1981. She has since released numerous albums and singles, including the hit song “One Love.”
She was appointed as the Chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture in 2013 and later became the Director-General of the National Centre for Women Development in 2016.
In 2020, she announced the publication of her memoir – ‘My Father’s Daughter’ which contains over 450 pages, designed to give inspiration to the younger ones, especially the younger feminine gender, since it encapsulates her low and high moments, through life. According to her, the book also examines aspects of her life that are hitherto unknown to the public.